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Developer Steve Dunn, of SteelWave, addressed the council at its priority planning workshop Tuesday night and asked to prioritize the East Pleasanton Specific Plan. The council halted development of the 1,100 acres of the rock quarry property in 2015, citing concerns such as the drought at the time.

“We’re not asking to build, were asking to plan,” said Dunn, whose company owns 320 acres of the area. “It’s unusual that people don’t want to plan.”

But plan they didn’t. The council decided in a 4-0 vote with Councilman Arne Olson recusing himself, to not move forward with making the east side plan a priority for the next two years.

Residents had concerns about traffic the project could create, and school overcrowding. Dunn’s plan called for an extension of El Charro Road connecting Stoneridge Drive and Stanley Boulevard. But critics at the meeting said this would cause cut-through traffic, increasing vehicles in the city.

Of the 18 speakers who addressed council on the topic of the East Pleasanton Specific Plan, 11 were against making it a council priority. Some opponents wore stickers bearing the word “sprawl” with a red slash through it.

In his comments to council, the developer said he too didn’t want sprawl. He said the development was in the city’s general plan and within the urban growth boundary.

Sandy Yamaoda, of the community group Pleasanton Voters, stated there was no rush to build these houses in the city. She said the plan was not mandated either.

“It’s just too soon,” she said. “The drought is not over.”

Dale Kaye, CEO of Innovation Tri-Valley, spoke in favor of the project, stating there was a need for more housing by local employers looking to recruit new employees to the area.

“We all know growth and change are certain … and we should plan for that in a way that is thoughtful,” Kaye said. “We need housing.”

Councilwoman Karla Brown, a vocal opponent of the developer’s plan, said it did not meet the “stack and pack” housing styles, which could be mandated by regional housing efforts.

“I wouldn’t want to fill that neighborhood full of houses, and then put in those multiple story housing,” she said.

Other council members, including Jerry Pentin and Mayor Jerry Thorne, however warned of state politics that could come into play and mandate more housing. Pentin said there are more than 200 bills in the Legislature related to housing in the state.

Thorne said state laws are “very rapidly eroding our local control away.” Regional planning agencies, such as the Association of Bay Area Governments, might soon make all the decisions about planning for local housing.

Thorne also said that the city “needs a breather” when it comes to more housing. He offered that the developer insisted he would be fine with putting the plan before voters in a special ballot measure, as long as the developer paid for the cost of that election.